Device for sampling, mixing, and blending granular substances.



E. G. BOERNER.

DEVICE FOR SAMPLING, MIXING, AND BLENDING GRANULAR SUBSTANCES.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1915.

1 1 60,036, Patented m. 9, 1915.

U TE

EMIL G. BOERNER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DEVICE FOR SAMPLING, MIXING, AND BLENDING- GRANULAR SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial N 0. 21,470.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL G. BOERNER, a citizen, of the United States, and an employee of the Department of Agriculture of the United States of America, residing at YVashington, District of Columbia, (whose post-ofiice address is Washington, District of Columbia,) have invented a Device for Sampling, Mixing, and Blending Granular Substances.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat, 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its ofiicers or employees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device which is adapted accurately to secure samples from large portions of grain, seed, flour, meal, coal, ore, or any other material of like kind for examination and analysis, and to mix and blend two streams of unlike material of the kind specified so that the resulting stream will be a perfect mixture of the original two.

The nature, characteristic features, and scope of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawing, forming a 'parthereof, wherein:

Figure l is a cross section of the base of my device on line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross. section of my device on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the device; Fig. 4 is a top view of the container receiving the treated material; Fig. 5 is a cross section of the container; and Fig. 6 is an end View of the funnels employed in my apparatus, with the spout to the interior funnel removed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a funnel hopper provided with a valve or gate, B, at its lower end, for closing the opening, C, in the bottom thereof. Secured to said hopper, A, at its bottom end, is a shield, D. Entering said shield, D, is a cone, E, provided at its base with a series of separated ducts, F, having uniform distances or spaces, G, between each two ducts. These ducts are so constructed that they are equal to the width of the spaces, G, between said ducts on the line, 34, where the ducts are fastened to the base of the cone, E. Said ducts may be constructed so as to form an integral part of the cone, E, or they may .be attached to said cone by clamps, rivets or other satisfactory means. F astened to the bottom of said cone, or forming an integral part thereof, is a funnel, H, having at its I base an adjustable spout, I. The ducts, F, constitute a passage way from the exterior of the cone, E, to the interior of the funnel, H. Inclosing the funnel, H, is a second funnel, K, provided at its base with a spout, J.

The upper portion of the funnel, K, extends above the ducts, F, and the base of the cone,

E, so that the enlarged opening of the funnel, K, partly. circumscribes the cone, E. The funnel, K, is provided with an aperture, L, approximate to its lower end, through which the spout, I, of the interior funnel, H, passes. The funnel, K, is attached to the ducts, F. Said funnel, K, may be secured to said ducts by soldering or by riveting, or by any other suitable and convenient means. When so fastened, the spaces, G, between said ducts, F, constitute unobstructed passage ways from the surface of the cone, E, to the interior of the funnel, K. The interior funnel, H, may be so constructed as to form a part of the funnel, K. This result.

may be accomplished by fastening the upper end of said funnel, H, to the interior of the funnel, K. The construction may be effected in such a way that the interior funnel, H, may form an integral part of the funnel, K, or the construction may be accomplished by riveting the upper portion of said interior funnel, H, to the interior portion of the funnel, K, contiguous to or slightly above thebase of the cone, E. It is immaterial to the operation of my device Whether the interior funnel, H, is attached to the base of the cone, E, or to the interior of the funnel, K. Said funnel, H, may be fastened to the base of the cone, E, by soldering or by riveting, or in any other suitable manner.

The structural parts constituting my device may be constructed of any material which is sufficiently strong and durable to withstand the strain of the operations to which it may be subjected in effecting the separation, mixing, or blending of the material hereinbefore specified. I prefer to construct the parts of brass and to construct the cone, E, the ducts, F, and the funnels, H and K, so that they constitute an integral whole. The spout, I, if not forming an integral part of the funnel, K, should beso soldered to said funnel, K, at the point where it passes through the opening, L, as

- low and approximately within the center of the opening, C. The cone, E, and the shield, D, are so constructed that considerable space extends between the upper part of said cone and the interior of said shield; and the upper end of the funnel, K, is so constructed that considerable space extends between the said upper part and the base of the cone, E. Likewise, the funnel, K, is so constructed that sufficient space is provided between it and the interior funnel, H, to permit mate-- rial to fall or run through the funnel, K, into the spout, J, without hindrance or obstruction.

In practising my invention, I place the material to be separated or mixed or blended in the hopper, A, and then turn the valve or gate, B, which allows the material to pass through the opening, C, on to the peak of the cone, E, in the form of a circular column. The material then spreads on the cone into a line the length of the circumference of the cone at its base, where it is divided into sections by the ducts, F, and the spaces, G. The

material entering the ducts, F, passes there- I through and falls into the funnel, H, and finds an exit through the spout, I, falling into the receptacle, Q, which is placed underneath the spout, I, for receiving said material. The sections of the material which do not enter the ducts, F, pass through the spaces, G, and fall into the interior of the funnel, K, and pass out through the spout, J, into the receptacle, R, set beneath said spout. All the material passing through the ducts, F, and through the funnel, H, lodges into the receptacle, Q, and all the material passing through the spaces, G, and the funnel, K, lodges into the receptacle, R. As the widths of the ducts, F, are equal to the widths of the spaces, G, between said ducts, it follows that the material falling on to the cone, E, is separated into equal parts, one-half passing throu h the spaces, G, and the other half passing t rough the, ducts, F, so that when the separated material "reaches the receptacles, Q, and R, it is divided into equal parts.

If it Is desired to obtain a smaller part of the original amount of material than onehalf, it is only necessary to return to the hopper, A, the material which falls into either of the receptacles, Q, and R, and run such material through the device, repeating such action as often as it may be necessary to procure a sample sufficiently small for the purposes desired, or'the same result may be obtained by building up a series of superimposed devices of the kind described, so that the lower device will only receive the mate-- rial which is spouted from the funnel, H,

or from the funnel, K.

up. The material so placed in the hopper,

A, should be run through the device and separated by means of the ducts, F, and the spaces, Gr. The separated material entering the funnel, H, will pass through the opening, S, in'the bottom thereof, and fall into the funnel, K, and discharge through the sput, J, into the receptacle, R, with the material passing through the spaces, G, into the funnel, K.

' My device may be further employed for obtaining two streams of material, which shall be alike, from two dissimilar streams. To accomplish this result, it is only necessary to pour the two dissimilar streams into the funnel hopper, A, and allow the dissimilar material to pass by gravity over the cone, E, and through the ducts, F, and spaces, G, for separation in the same manner as I have hereinbefore' described. The dissimilar streams of materialwill be mixed and separated in equal proportion by passing through the ducts, F and the spaces, G, and through. the funnels, H and K. The resulting streams discharged through the respective funnels will be similar, and the receptacles, Q and R, will contain the same amount of dissimilar material in perfect blend. Of course, my device may be employed for dividing the original amount of material placed in the funnel hopper into unequal parts. This result may be accomplished by making the spaces, G, between the ducts, F, of unequal width, thereby causing the material 'as it passes over the cone, E, to enter the funnels, H and K, in

unequal proportions. Y

The operation of my device does not require power of any kind, gravity supplying all the power necessary to make the material pass through the device. The segments of the material which fall into the ducts, F, arranged all the way around the base of the cone, E, at equal distances, are automatically brought together into one receptacle by passing through the funnel, H. Likewise, those segments which fall through the spaces, G,

having the same widths and separated by the ducts, F,l are automatically spouted into 1 another receptacle by passing through thefunnel, K. g

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further'description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, f shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. j

Having thus described my invention, I claim: r

An apparatus of the character described, comprising a cone provided at its base with a series of ducts, a funnel arranged beneath said cone, spaces of equal distances between said ducts, a second funnel over-spreading said first funnel and having a spout at its lower end and its upper end extending above to the interior of said second funnel, a funnel hopper provided-with a gate disposed funnel hopper and the apex of said cone, ing said respective funnels in fixed operative position with respect to each other.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL G. BOERNER.

v above said cone, a shield attached to said partly clrcumscribing and supports for hold- 

